NEW SHARP MEDICAL CENTER OPENS IN SANTEE: FACILITY TO HOST OCT. 10 VIRTUAL TOUR AND ASK-THE-DOCTOR SESSIONS

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By Mike Allen

 

October 8, 2020 (Santee) -- This week, Sharp Rees-Stealy opened its new medical center, a state of the art three-story building on Cuyamaca Street off Highway 52, which replaces four smaller clinics in East County that are now closed.

Stacey Hrountas, chief executive officer for Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Centers, said the consolidation removes the inconvenience of patients having to visit multiple sites for their healthcare needs.

 

“Instead of patients having to visit Mt. Helix, San Carlos, or El Cajon, they can now come here in one beautiful location,” Hrountas said.

The four centers that Sharp Rees-Stealy closed in recent weeks are El Cajon, La Mesa West, Mt. Helix and San Carlos.

 

Services at the 86,000 square foot Santee location include dermatology, diabetes education, family medicine; internal medicine; laboratory; mammography; ophthalmology; optical shop; optometry; OB/GYN; pediatrics; pharmacy; radiology; rehabilitation services and urgent care.

 

Beginning Oct. 4, Sharp patients in East County can obtain care at either the Grossmont Medical Plaza or the new Santee center. Patients can figure out where their doctors are by checking Sharp Rees-Stealy Santee. The number of visitors are limited due to the pandemic, and face masks are required inside the building.

 

At the official ribbon cutting ceremony Oct 7, Assemblyman Randy Voepel (71st Assembly) said plans for the new center were formed years ago, but the final result was something to behold.

 

“I called this (vacant lot) Tumbleweed Farm, but these people have made it into a thing of beauty,” he said.

 

The property was acquired in 2015, and construction began last year. It lasted 19 months. Including land costs, the project cost about $70 million, Hrountas said.

There was a slight increase in employment due to the new center, which has some 200 employees, she added.

 

One of the nice things about the new center is that it’s near two San Diego Trolley stops, in Santee and Gillespie Field.

 

In addition to gleaming interiors featuring modern graphics and art, the building has a battery storage unit outside so the electricity generated from the solar panels in the parking lots can be stored. In the event of a power outage, the center would use electricity from the storage batteries, and then switch over to a generator. The facility also has 35 electric car battery recharging stations.

 

“This state of the art facility serving the dynamic and growing area has been a longtime goal of ours,” said Chris Howard, president and CEO of Sharp Healthcare.

 

State Sen. Brian Jones (38th Senate District) said he was a member of the Santee City Council when this project was first proposed, and it turned out to be a winner.

 

“This is absolutely the best use we could have come up with for this property,” he said.

 

On social media, however, some residents near the La Mesa facility now shut down voiced objections to having to travel farther for their medical care.

Sharp is holding a virtual open house on Oct. 10 in which visitors to the online site can take a tour of the new Santee center, participate in ask-the-doctor sessions, view cooking demonstrations, participate in exercise sessions, and enter drawings for prizes. To register, go to Sharp.com.

 

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